The JOY of Being a Parent
Oops! When I scheduled the posts for Saturday and today, I accidentally switched them. So . . . instead of my sharing a Works Progress Administration poster on Saturday, I am sharing it today. The title of the poster is The Job of Being a Parent.
The Library of Congress (which is where I find my Saturday posters) wasn’t much help on this one. The poster is dated September 7, 1939. It is a product of the Illinois WPA’s Federal Arts Project. The Library of Congress summary reads: “Poster promoting families, showing father, mother, son, and daughter.”
I’d love to write something insightful about its meaning, but I’m still trying to figure it out. It’s nice to have posters that promote families, but this one leaves me with more questions than answers.
- Is the poster for parents? If so, why do the family members look like they stepped out of an adorably illustrated children’s book?
- Why do they all have the same expression?
- Why does the mama look like a teenager?
- What kind of shoes is she wearing anyway? How does she stand up on those little bitty things?
- Why are they holding their arms and hands like that?
- What parenting job is the poster trying to promote?
- Did the mama fall down and hurt her knees when the children did?
I know one thing for sure. Cute as they are, they are one regimented looking bunch. Maybe that’s why they all have that blank stare. I’d like to do a take-off on this poster. I’d change that word job to joy and I’d draw some fun and frolic and variety in that father, mother, son, and daughter.
I pray that you have a school day filled with fun, frolic, and variety, while you rest in the truth that your family derives is name from our Father in heaven.
For this reason
I bend my knees before the Father,
from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name . . .
Ephesians 3:14-15